The Isle of Man College’s History & Heritage lecture series continues on Wednesday 17th February with a lecture by Dr Catriona Mackie. Catriona will be talking about conflicts between tenants and landlords during the 19th century over the issue of improved housing.

Using the Hebridean island of Lewis as a case study, this lecture will look at changing attitudes towards working-class housing throughout the British Isles at this time. Catriona will examine why landowners and local authorities wanted tenants in the Hebrides to improve their housing, and why the Lewis tenants were so unwilling to comply. The lecture will highlight the important relationship between the tenants and their houses, and the role that the house played in the agricultural cycle. Eventually, tenants did begin to make changes to their houses, and Catriona will explore the social and cultural context of these developments that led, ultimately, to the abandonment of the traditional houses.

“I’ve been researching the traditional houses of the Isle of Lewis for many years, and it’s still a subject that fascinates me. Examining houses that people built themselves gives us a unique insight into the way they lived and how they perceived the world. The houses were so closely connected with their way of life that making significant changes to them would have a dramatic impact on the way they lived.”

“In the Isle of Lewis, we see people in a position of authority (the landlords) trying to impose their own cultural values on a people with a very different cultural background (the tenants). Unfortunately, this kind of thing still happens around the world today, so I think we can look at what happened in Lewis and consider whether there might be better ways to handle cultural differences of this nature.”

Catriona’s talk, “Tenants and landlords: Reform and Resistance in the Scottish Hebrides”, will take place in the Lecture Theatre at Elmwood House at 6pm on Wednesday 17 February. All are welcome, and no booking is required. Parking for the lecture is at Thie Ushtey (off Greenfield Road). Further details about the lecture series can be found at http://catrionamackie.net/lectures/. January’s lecture on Manx juvenile delinquency by Dr Sue Nicol is now available to view online.

Catriona is Lecturer in History and Programme Leader for the undergraduate degree in History & Heritage at the Isle of Man College.

Photo - Remains of a mid-19th century house in Bragar, Isle of Lewis.